I’m currently waitlisted in the class (but I’ve talked to him a couple of months back, he’ll let me in for sure regardless) and I am curious on how basic his lectures are, especially to someone who has already taken an intro class in Python and is familiar with pre-OOP concepts. My dilemma is I’m trying to squeeze a Chemistry class in this upcoming semester and I can’t on M/W/F so I’m thinking that if McDermott’s lectures are pretty basic to someone who already has a decent amount of programming experience, maybe I can leave his lecture an hour in and go to a chem class, and turn in whatever labs/assignments I have to do when needed (for CS61) considering I’ve read he is lenient with them and lets people redo assignments, etc. I just want to hear from someone who has taken his class. I know this may seem like a bad idea but trust me when I say that most if not all of the material he will go over will be nothing new to me, I’m just taking the class to fulfill a couple of UC requirements.
Edit:
What I could do though is take Chemistry 1A at Laney during the Spring semester and then take the 1B requirement during Summer… but will UCs be cool with me doing that if I am applying to schools this Fall? I wish I could edit my OP/title.
Oh, I’m actually considering to take 61A next fall at Laney. How hard would you say the class is and how much time would it require?
@Orangered123 IIRC you have C++ experience, the class will be a breeze for you. It is taught in Python, and is loosely modeled after the Berkeley course. Although you already (possibly) know it articulates there the reason I say this again is because he does not directly go over material as you would if you took 61A at Berkeley, so he offers optional things to read through if you would like to be more in tune with those who take the course at Berkeley.
He has posted every single assignment due for the semester online, you can redo any assignments until you get full credit; showing up to class is optional. There are certain times where he has in-class activities so those would be a good time to go for points. There are no quizzes/tests, but there is a programming project due at the end of the semester that you have to present.
Here are the course web sites for the Berkeley course:
http://www-inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs61a/archives.html
Do you need two semesters of chemistry for other colleges? At Berkeley, neither L&S CS nor EECS requires any chemistry, although one semester of chemistry can be used to fulfill the third science course (after two physics courses) for EECS.
@ucbalumnus Thank you, I was just looking at that page the other day too. For other colleges yeah, like UC Davis.
Looks like Davis requires either a year of chemistry or three semesters of physics for CS majors:
http://www.assist.org/web-assist/reportOnly.do?agreement=aa&reportPath=REPORT_2&reportScript=Rep2.pl&event=19&dir=1&rinst=left&EM=1&sia=LANEY&ia=LANEY&ria=UCD&oia=UCD&ay=15-16&dora=COMP.SCI.B.S.
Are you already taking physics for other schools?
@ucbalumnus Unfortunately no, there were only a couple of sections for it this semester at my main school; I could take it next semester but I could also take chem.